Lakers Rumors: How Will Living on His Own Mentally Affect Kobe Bryant This Year?

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is living on his own following his wife Vanessa filing for divorce last month, and it will be interesting to see how this change in scenery affects him mentally.

According to StarzUncut, Bryant is living at the Pelican Hill Resort which is located in Newport Coast, a very nice part of southern California for those of you who have never been. It's also just a short distance from his old estate, which his wife owns.

You cannot underestimate the fact that living away from your family can take a toll mentally on a player in any sport, and thus affect on-court performances.

It's hard for anyone to be away from their family, especially their young children, more than usual. While Bryant often looks like a superhuman on the basketball court, at the end of the day he is just an adult like you and me.

There's no question this will affect him, but Bryant is a strong player both physically and mentally. He has had to deal with a ton of distractions and problems both on the court and off it.

Many players would fold and be torn down by these hardships, but Bryant's competitive drive doesn't allow his problems and critics to affect him. Whether you love or hate him, Bryant's resiliency is quite impressive.

After a poor 0-2 start to the season, the Lakers have rebounded with three consecutive victories and have looked quite impressive.

The team doesn't seem too distracted about off-court drama or constant trade rumors, which is always going to be an issue in a market such as Los Angeles.

On an individual level, Bryant has played very well this season, and has led the Lakers in scoring in four of the team's five games.

He's currently averaging 25.6 points, 6.4 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game this season. If Bryant can keep that stat line up for the whole year, he will be a top candidate for his second NBA MVP award.

Despite living on his own and not being with his family as much as he would like, Bryant is mentally strong enough to not let it affect him to the point where it hurts his play for the Lakers.